Closer Than Blood
by Mr. Taboo
Summary: When Riley wants to know what is happening to Todd, who's been acting strangely, the answer just might change both of them and their relationship forever. Warning: Incestuous, mildly violent, mild language. Don't like, Don't read. (Also, being my first story, please don't be shy to post honest reviews. Thanks!)
1. Soooo Embarrassing!

"This is going to be soooo embarrassing!" Riley said. "I don't want to go in there!"

Riley sat in the front seat of C.A.R. alongside K and in front of Todd outside the school. "Dear, they won't notice! I promise you're making a big deal out of such a little thing," K said. "Right Todd?" K looked back to Todd, who had the grey hood of his hoody pulled down over his head and his gaze down. "Hmmph," He grunted in response. K rolled her eyes. _"Teenagers"_ She thought to herself. "Look dear, it's just a cold sore! Nothing more than a blemish! You'll be fine." Riley shook her head wildly. "No it won't! I'll be the laughing stock of the school, and of course Sierra will have more than a snide remark about it, and…" She was cut short by K, who simply said "C.A.R., ejector seat."

Riley went flying and landed with a _thud_ in the grass on her rear. K looked back at Todd. "So what's your choice, dear?" Todd grabbed his back pack and jumped out of the car, still keeping his hoody on and his gaze down. "Smart boy. Now I'll see you two later. Remember Riley, no one will notice, so don't worry!" And with that, K and C.A.R were gone, leaving nothing but burning rubber marks on the road.

"How can she say that no will notice! Is she crazy, is she…" She, again, was cut off, this time by Todd, who had his hand outstretched to help her up. "Thanks" She sighed, and grabbed on. Once standing, Todd headed for the door without her. _Typical Todd_, She thought to herself, _leaving me behind _rudely." She found, however, that instead of her presumption, Todd had only gone ahead to hold the door open for her. _"Todd being polite? Wasn't expecting that." _

She grabbed her things from the ground and hurried for the door, trying not to keep Todd waiting. Once inside, she saw all the bustling kids in the hall and her embarrassment came stomping back. "Ooooh, I change my mind! I'm going to ditch today, see ya!" As she was halfway out the door, Todd grabbed her by the wrist. When she turned back, and gestured for her to come back inside. She did reluctantly, and sighed. "Ok… but can you let go?" She looked down where he was holding her left wrist and, almost as reluctantly as she had come in, Todd let go. With a sigh of fear, Riley walked down the hall, followed by Todd. She noticed the gradual glances toward her, but there certainly wasn't they giant mob of mocking she had expected to surround her. _"Not yet, at least…" _She thought.

She headed to her locker, and Todd still trailed right behind. She turned back to him and said " Don't you want to go talk to Jacobo?" She asked. Todd simply shrugged in response, but stayed in the same spot. "Ok…" Said Riley somewhat suspicious of her normally troublemaking brother. She turned forward and started again toward her locker, Todd still trailing.

A few moments later, the first bell rang, and Riley shut her locker and headed to her first period. Todd was still following, but she decided not to say anything about it, and just let him. When she reached her classroom, she wondered if he was going to follow her into the room, but when she looked back, he was gone. _Something's up with him…" _She thought to herself. She almost got lost in thought about it, until Sierra walked through the door, and she realized that she had completely forgotten about the cold sore on her lip that she would surely make fun of her for.

Throughout the day, when she wasn't in perpetual fear, she noticed Todd was always there. He was there after every class, at lunch, almost always silently by her side. Already it was sixth period and Todd had yet to say one word. "This is so not normal…" She whispered to herself as she walked down the hall. Finally, after debating it in her mind for a few moments, she stopped and looked at Todd. "Why are you following me around today?" She asked. Todd shrugged again as if it was his only response. "No, Todd, say something. I don't want a shrug; I want an actual spoken reason why you're my new shadow." She stated firmly.

Todd bit his lower lip for a moment. Finally he started to speak. "Look, I…" He was cut short by an arm grabbing his shoulder and throwing him backwards. In Todd's spot now was an incredibly large boy, looming over like a monster: Donny Rottweiler. " Hey daring," He boomed down at Riley. "Nice lip accessory." At this point everyone in the hall had huddled around the three, and was laughing at Riley. "Guess we know how you got it… from you being a _slut_!" He yelled. The word _slut_ seemed to ring out in the room, until Riley realized it wasn't an echo, but instead a chant from the kids surrounding them. They were laughing and pointing and chanting the word loudly. She couldn't take it, she had to get out of there. Wiping the tears and mascara away, she pushed through the crowd and ran into the girls restroom.

Donny was still standing there laughing with the crowd, and as he started to walk away, he was tackled to the ground. Flipping around to see who hit him, all he saw was a bombardment of Todd's fists come raining down. Todd pounded away at the bully's face, enraged that he talked that way about his sister. He continued to hammer away at the bully, hitting with full force every time. Donny tried to stop Todd so he could fight back, but Todd wouldn't let up. Between fists, Todd shouted at the bully. "Don't…You…Ever…Talk…About…My…Sister!"

By the time someone had pried Todd off of Donny, his fists were covered in blood and so was Donny's face. "I'll kill you!" Todd shouted at the now whimpering Donny. "Excuse me young man?" Said the person holding Todd. Angrily Todd looked up to find Principal Cutler holding him back. Todd's expression changed from anger a mix between fear and shock. "Let's go, Mr. Daring," Cutler said. "To my office now!" Cutler let go of Todd and pointed in the direction of his office, and Todd reluctantly started in that direction, leaving behind the bloody mess of a bully and his crying sister in the bathroom. _"Riley…" _


	2. A reluctant Revelation

-8:00 PM, Daring household—

"…And that is unacceptable behavior, young man! You fractured his skull, broke his nose, got suspended from school!" K yelling could be heard from outside as Todd rushed through the door. They had just gotten out of what had to be the longest talk in the Principal's office that had ever happened, and he was as K said suspended from school. "Where do you think you're going young man?!" K yelled as he ran the steps of the stairs up to his room. "Get back down here right this instant!" Todd kept running until he got to his room, where he slammed the door and locked it.

Todd breathed a sigh of relief. _"Finally, I'm alone.."_ He thought to himself. _"Mom's pretty mad… but Donny deserved it… The bastard called Riley a slut, I couldn't just let him get away with that…" _ He sat on the edge of his bed and laid back, staring at the ceiling. A small voice at the back of his mind started to creep into his thoughts. "_Getting a little protective are we?_" It asked. _"It's my sister, I love her, what am I supposed to do?" _He thought back. _"Yes, you do lover her… Maybe a little more than a brother _should_ love his sister…A lot more…_" The voice replied. "I can't help it!" Todd yelled aloud. "Can't help what?" A voice from behind him asked.

Scared, Todd sat straight up and turned behind him, to find Riley looking in through his window. Blushing, he replied "Uh, nothing… What're you doing outside my window?" He asked, walking to the window and trying to get the subject off of himself. "Just looking at stars," She replied. "Come out here with me." Todd, still blushing, nodded and opened the window and climbed through. He sat by his window, and Riley scooted next to him. "I heard what you did…" Riley said, hiding any emotion in her voice well. "And I have to say, while I don't condone violence… Thanks." She reached over and hugged Todd, and planted a little kiss on his cheek. The slight blush on his face had now turned into a full bright red face. Riley started to release her arms from around her, but as she did he hugged her back, tighter.

Riley was shocked: first Todd not leaving her side, then Donny, now actually hugging her back… "Todd, is everything ok? Today you've been acting really weird." Todd realized this question had been brought on by the hug, and released his grip. "I'm… uh…I'm fine," Todd said. Riley looked at him. "I know when you're lying. Tell me what's going on." Todd looked off into the distance and breathed deeply. With a sigh, he said "Well, you were scared this morning that people would talk trash about you, and I figured I'd just… make sure no one did." Riley looked puzzled. "Why would you care if anyone made me hurt my feelings? Why did you make me come back inside today? Usually you would let me go without a second thought… Why do you care anymore now than you did before?" Todd shook his head. "Please stop asking questions. Just please..." He begged, but Riley wouldn't let up. "Tell me."

Todd kept shaking his head, pulling his knees up to his chest and hugging them there. "Tell me Todd.. Please?" Riley pleaded. She placed her hand on Todd's shoulder to be reassuring, and finally Todd quit shaking his head. He mumbled something into his knees that Riley couldn't hear, and she said "What?" Todd set his chin on top of his knees, and with eyes closed he reluctantly said "It's because I like you…" Riley scoffed. "Well of course you like me, you're my brother." Todd shook his head again once. "No Riley, I mean I really like you…" "Todd," Riley said, "I'm still confused. What do you mea—" Riley didn't get to finish her statement as Todd stopped her lips with his own. He kissed her passionately for what seemed like hours but was probably ten seconds. After some time, Riley pushed Todd away and looked at him strangely. "That's what I meant… And now you hate me. Great…" Todd returned to his fetal position and sunk his face into his knees. He had just destroyed his relationship with his sister.

Todd decided he would leave before she could say anything. He got up quickly and headed in the window, but before he made it half way through, Riley grabbed his wrist. Incredibly hesitant, Todd came back out the window. He turned and sat down, and didn't dare to look at his sister. "Todd, I… How long have you felt this way?" Riley asked. "Since the orphanage…" Todd recalled. "I had these feelings since the orphanage, but nowhere near as strong. They stayed since then, but I pretended I didn't care, and hoped they'd just go away… But in the past couple of months they just kind of grew stronger, and I just… I don't know what's wrong with me…"

Riley was shocked, she didn't know what to think. "Have you talked to anyone else about these feelings besides me?" Todd shook his head. "Well..," Riley said, but she stopped herself before she said anything more. " 'Well' what?" Todd asked. Reluctantly, Riley said "Have you thought about maybe… talking to a shrink? Maybe… Maybe if you talked to a therapist or something, he could make these feelings go away…" There was silence for what Riley thought felt like hours until Todd spoke up. He grumbled something under his voice so low that Riley couldn't hear it. Realizing Riley hadn't heard him, he reiterated:

"I don't want these feelings to go away…"

Riley was still confused. _"Ok, organize," _She thought to herself. _"Todd, my own brother, likes me… he has for a long time, and he doesn't want to make the feelings go away…"_ Riley now had a good idea of what Todd _did_ want, but she had to be sure. "Todd." Todd looked up at his sister, who was staring at him with possibly the most serious face he had ever seen on her. "If you don't want these feelings to go away, what _do_ you want?" Hesitant with his reply, Todd sat in silence for a moment. "You," He replied as he stared into her eyes, blushing. "I want you... I want to be with you… I want you to be my girlfriend."

Riley looked stunned. She had expected that to be his answer, but it still hit her like a bag of bricks. She sat there in silence, trying to think of a way to reply to that, and she had come up with nothing. "Well?" Todd asked, thinking he had surely blown to bits whatever relationship he had with his sister. "Look Todd, I… I don't have an answer to that… Give me till tomorrow, after school, and I'll try to have an answer for you…" And with that, she stood and walked to her window. Within a moment she was inside, and shut the window quietly.

"Goodnight…" Todd whispered softly. He looked up at the night sky, noting all the stars and how close they were (at least through his perception), and was mildly envious that they were never alone. _"Might as well get used to it…" _He thought to himself as he stood. He started to clamber through his window when looked back once more at the night sky. "Tsk," He sighed sadly, as he slipped through the window completely, and shut it with a light _thud_.


	3. Shaky Decisions

-The Next Day, 12:19, Lunch at the cafeteria-

_Riley… Riley…_

"Riley!" Tasumi yelled.

"Huh?!" Riley grunted back, being pulled back to reality from her thoughts. Tasumi giggled. "You alive? You were just blankly staring out into space." Riley tried to collect herself, throwing on a smile and trying not to look like she was worried. "Yeah, um… Yeah, I'm good." Riley really wasn't "good". She had been lost in thought over what had happened between her and Todd the night before. She hadn't been able to sleep at all because of it, tossing and turning all night with the same thoughts in her head: _What am I supposed to say? What am I _going_ to say? Will he kiss me again? Will he hate me if I say no? Will he kiss me again? He seems depressed and ashamed because of this… will he do something drastic? I can't believe he kissed me like that… _All those thoughts going on, plus Todd texting her almost every period asking if "Any1 was giving [her] crap", (until she turned off, plus her phone) dealing with the questions about Todd beating up Donny Rottweiler and her not having an answer (It's not like she could say he was being as protective as usual – anyone that knew him had never seen him be protective, because he was never so in public), and all the while acting like everything was normal when it was far from it, she felt like she was going to explode!

She excused herself from the lunch table , which got her some strange looks since she wasn't finished eating. She dumped what was left of her meal – she didn't feel much like eating—and headed for the restroom. She opened the door to the girl's restroom and had to dodge a group of popular girls (including Sierra) as they barged their way out of the exit. Once they had left the only person in the room was Riley. The room was overrun with the smell of smoke, and Riley needn't make a guess as to what the girls had been doing in there. She walked to the closest sink to her in the room (which was thankfully the farthest from the stalls), and she turned on the cold water. She lowered her head, and splashed the water into her face; she hoped that the water for some odd reason would calm down the raging ocean of thoughts going on in her head. Sadly, it did not. _Should I say yes? What happens if…_when_ it _doesn't_ work? Will he kiss me like that again?_ Riley wasn't sure if that last thought was asked out of curiosity, or in longing.

"Ugh," She sighed frustrated and thudded her forehead into the glass mirror in front of her. In the reflection of the mirror, Riley saw the door the door open behind her, and Abbey stepped into the room. Abbey shook her her head as if she had expected this, and walked up beside Riley. "OK," She said mildly concerned, "What's wrong?" Riley picked her head up and shook it from side to side in a spastic no. "Nothing's wrong!" She insisted, obviously lying. "Nothing at all! Why would you think that?" Abbey raised an eyebrow. "Well, besides the obvious, you've been acting weird all day." She said. Riley shook her head again. "I'm not acting weird! You're the one who's acting weird! You're the one who's-"

She was cut off when Abbey said "Riley," sternly. Abbey had a serious look on her face and stared dead at Riley; to Riley it seemed as if Abbey was staring _through _her. Riley sighed, knowing she couldn't keep it a secret any longer. She had to tell someone, so who better than someone you trust? "There's this boy..." Riley started hesitantly. Abbey raised both eyebrows in a mildly shocked look and asked "Name?" Riley shook her head and said "I can't say. Anyway, we're, uh, friends, but lately he's been acting really weird. Last night, I asked him what was wrong and he kissed me! He said... he said he wanted me to be his girlfriend, and I told him I didn't know what to say, and said I'd have an answer for him today... I don't know if I can let him down easy." "Why are you so set on telling him no?" Abbey questioned. "Is he ugly?" Riley thought for a moment, and realized that Todd was fairly attractive. She shook her head no. "Well, is he incredibly dumb?" _Lazy,_ Riley thought to herself, _but not stupid._ Again she shook her head. "Well then are you seeing someone else?" And again, another shake of the head no. "Well then why aren't you willing to give him a chance?" She simply shrugged, unsure of what to say without giving away that it was Todd they were talking about. "Well there you go. You should give him a chance! At least give him a week. If you still feel this way at the end of the week, then call it off. But if not..." Abbey grinned widely and happily, letting the silence finish the sentence for her.

Eventually the silence wasn't enough, and Abbey asked "What do you think?" Riley was torn. She didn't want to, out of fear of the repercussions of anyone finding out they were dating, but... Todd, the way he was so depressed, so sad looking, he deserved something to cheer him up. _But won't it just tear him back down when I call it off? _She shook the thought off, and realized something momentarily happy is better than nothing at all. Riley took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes?" Abbey asked. "Yes. One week." Riley replied. "Awesome!" Abbey squeaked. "So, are you going to ever tell me his name?" Riley smiled and shook her head no. "Aw!" Abbey played. Riley smiled.

_ - _After school, Daring household-

Riley walked through the front door to a quiet house. Wondering where everyone was, she dumped her things onto the closest part of the couch and headed up the stairs. She heard no noise coming from any room. She opened her parents room and stuck her head inside, saying "knock knock: as she did so. No one. Behind her, she heard a door open. "What are you doing?" Todd asked as he stepped out from his room. Riley stepped out of her parent's room and shut the door behind her. "Nothing," she said looking down the hall at Todd. "Just didn't hear anyone home. Where's Mom and Dad?" Todd shrugged. "Mom's at work, AKA I have no idea, and Dad and C.A.R are at the grocery store." "Oh" Riley replied.

They stood in an silence, the awkward tension between them palpable. Todd decided to be the braver of the two, and started to speak. "Look," he said, rubbing the back of his head and neck. "I, uh, I shouldn't have done what I did yesterday, kissing you and all..." He averted his eyes to the floor in shame. Riley walked up to Todd and placed a hand on his left shoulder. "Hey, it's...it's OK," She weakly comforted him. "...Look, I figured out what to say about last night." Todd looked up at Riley scared. "You... you did?" he asked, fear clear in his voice. Riley nodded. "What I realized I should say was... yes." Riley felt relieved that she finally got that last word out. Todd looked at his sister strangely. "Yes?" He asked. Riley took a deep breath, and said "Yes... I'll be you're girlfriend. For one week. If I feel something... a spark, and I want to keep going with this. If not..." She let the sentence trail off into silence. "If not..?" Todd asked. "Then we break up, and you see a shrink." She semi-joked. Todd caught this and asked "Does C.A.R. count?" Riley, relieved that Todd wasn't focusing on the "If not" part and smiled at her brother/now boyfriend. Todd smiled back, and caught Riley in a loving and thankful hug.


End file.
